Improved olothes-piu



@einen gisten strnt @frn IMPROVED CLOTHES-PIN.

ilge Sttrhule referrer tu in tinte teints nett mit making part titte sume.

Be it known that I, A.W. BRINKERHOFF, of Upper Sandusky, county of Wyandot, and State ofOhio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making 4a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a. perspective view of .the device.

Figures 2, 3, and 4, edge views of other shapes, by which the same results may be obtained.

The nature of my invention consists in forming a clothes-pinfrom a singlepiece of sheet metal, so as to give it all the elements of pins for like purposes formed by uniting wooden jaws by wire or other hinges, and adding spiral or other springs for the purpose of causing them to act as a clasp upon the clothes or line. It further consists in securing a pin that is very durable and not liable to become impaired by use, having neither hinge nor spring of separate and distinct parts. It further consists in providing 4a metallic pin that will not injure the clothes by rusting or corroding.

To enable others skilled in the art to manufacture this device, I will proceed to describe its constructon and operation.

From sheet metal are cut blanks, as desired, for each pin.. The ends of blank are then brought together, or nearly so, leaving a lat or plane in the centre of the bla-nk of about three-fourths of an inch, or as desired, and at right angles with the bent ends. The sides (as they now are) are then pressed togetheruntil theymeet, or nearly so, under the upper plane or top. -The proper shape is then given for clasping the cord or line, and

at the lower end of the swells for the reception ofthe line the ends of the blank are again turned upward, form? ing levers bywhich the jaws are opened to -adniit the line when used. The bends and curves, w, between the upright levers b, provide thefulcrum, against which levers b are pressed to open the jaws, and at the same time furnish the spring to close the jaws when on the line.

Those bends and curves may be made of any form, so as to afford both spring and fulcrum, as may be seen in iigs. 2, 3, and 4; and therefore I do not confine my invention to the particular form herein set forth, but extend it to any form ot' curves or bends which provide or secure spring` and fulcrnm between ascending levers for operating clothes-pins thus constructed. To prevent tarnishing clothes, I coat .them with any of the wellknown metalsused for such purposes, suoli as zinc, silver, &c. Clothes-pins thus constructed, having no hinges or springs combined :with them, as when made of various materials, are not only far superior in strength, but much more durable, and entirely free from becoming useless by the loss of some of their parts.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of this invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. I claim constructing a clothes-pin out of one piece oi' sheet spring metal, possessing in full the spring, clasp, and levers for expanding the lips, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. I claim such manner orform of construction of clothes-pins, when madre out of one piece of sheet metal, tis-will secure both the spring and fulcrumbetween ascending levers, and so that by pressing the levers together at their upper ends, their inner sides shall be brought to bear against the fulcrum, and thereby spread the lips in applying or removing it from the line.

A. W. BRINKERHOFF.

Witnesses:

J. A. MAXWELL, T. E. BEER?. 

